Josh Moon: Clear, concise answers required from ASU

Nov. 27, 2012

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At an Alabama State University board of trustees meeting several years ago, I watched as a trustee, whose inclusion on the board was being disputed, was ignored each time he spoke — as though the other members literally couldn’t hear what he was saying — and was then removed by campus police from the meeting as onlookers shouted.

Until Monday night, that probably was the strangest ASU trustees meeting I had ever witnessed. I’m sure folks who have been around the campus longer than I have their own favorites.

But let me ask you this: Do any of them end with the current president standing on the steps of the most recognizable building on campus essentially accusing a state legislator and chief operating officer of the school of misusing funds?

Because that’s how Monday’s executive committee session ended.

ASU president Joseph Silver, who has been employed at the school for just over two months, was placed on administrative leave by that committee. (Which seems odd all by itself, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t it at least require the full board to place a president on leave?)

Why Silver was placed on leave isn’t clear. I asked university spokesman Ken Mullinax late Monday night, and he phoned someone who was providing statements from John Knight, the aforementioned legislator and COO, and the response was: “That’s something the board will have to answer.”

Immediately after the meeting, Silver told reporters that he had “discovered some old bones” that people didn’t want him to ask questions about. He said he was ordered to stay away. He refused that request, and then took the astounding step of issuing letters of termination for Knight and Danielle Kennedy, who is the vice president of university relations.

Asked about that, both Knight and Kennedy dispute that claim, saying they were never fired. Knight said the first he heard of a termination letter was at roughly the same time the board meeting started Monday night.

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But Silver wasn’t finished.

On the steps of the Acadome, with 50 to 75 students gathered around, after telling them that he had been pressured to resign that morning, Silver insinuated strongly that money was being misspent at ASU. And he told the students that, “As this unravels, you’ll figure it out. All you have to do is follow the money.”

Knight said he had no idea what Silver was alluding to.

And still, Silver wasn’t done.

After he finished speaking, Silver began the long walk back to his office across the campus, and I tagged along. I asked if he felt the alleged misspent money was the result of incompetence or an intent to defraud.

“I’ll let the public determine that,” Silver said.

I asked if he felt criminal charges could result from any of his alleged findings.

“I think I’ll let the public decide that as well,” Silver said with a smile.

For what it’s worth, Silver didn’t hesitate in his answers, and he seemed awfully sure of what he was saying. On the other hand, he didn’t provide a lot of details, either.

Is there something here? Has Silver indeed found old bones, or the first corpse in the graveyard of impropriety that insiders around ASU have talked about for years?

I have no idea.

But I know this: The man is willing to risk his job over whatever it is he believes he’s found. That adds a bit of credibility to his accusations.

And a little credibility is all he needs, because let’s not pretend there isn’t a belief out there among the general public — whether it’s spurred by actual facts or by ignorance or racism — that ASU’s financial dealings over the years haven’t exactly been pure. And there have been a few occurrences that have lent credence to those beliefs.

Having the newly appointed president, a man who isn’t tied to this state or the major players on that campus, stand up and publicly raise these questions is a big problem.

And it’s a problem that has to be addressed with clear, concise answers and a level of openness and transparency that has eluded ASU in the past.